Sugarcane plants with an increased storage carbohydrate content

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method for increasing the storage carbohydrate content of sugarcane plants.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/793,031, filed Jun. 15, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,807,871 which is the U.S. national stage application of PCT/EP2005/014063, filed Dec. 21, 2005, which claims priority to EP 040 90 502.8, filed Dec. 21, 2004, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/637,918, filed Dec. 21, 2004, the disclosures of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(i) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for increasing the storage carbohydrate content of sugarcane plants.

(ii) Description of the Related Art

Those involved in the fields of agriculture and forestry constantly strive to provide higher-yielding plants, in particular to safeguard the food supply of the continuously increasing world population and to ensure the supply of renewable raw materials. A traditional attempt is to maintain high-yielding plants by means of breeding. However, this procedure is time- and labor-consuming. In some cases, progress has already been made by subjecting plants to genetic manipulation, i.e. by the directed introduction and expression of foreign (recombinant) nucleic acid molecules in/into plants.

Besides sugar beet, sugarcane is the most important plant used for the production of sugar (sucrose). To obtain cane sugar, the sugarcane is harvested in an expensive fabrication procedure and then transported to the factory. Prior to the extraction of the sugar, the sugarcane is cleaned. In the traditional method, the sugarcane is subsequently comminuted and then passes through 4-6 roller presses to separate the juice from the fiber (bagasse). The crystallized and centrifuged sugar (sucrose) is obtained by clarification, evaporation, fractional crystallization and separating the mother liquor (molasses) from the crystals by centrifugation. The molasses, is currently the economically most important by-product of obtaining sugar from sugarcane, comprise approximately 50% sugars (sucrose and monosaccharides). They is used as starting material for fermentation products, of which ethanol is the most important, and moreover as animal feed and, in some countries, also for human nutrition (“black honey” in Egypt).

Current biotechnological methods allow the generation of sugarcane plants which, besides cane sugar (sucrose) and molasses, synthesize valuable storage carbohydrates such as, for example, fructans, which can subsequently be employed for industrial, cosmetic or pharmaceutical purposes and in the food industry.

Thus, for example, the international patent applications WO96/01904, WO96/21023, WO98/39460 and WO99/24593 propose to express 1-SST genes alone or in combination with 1-FFT genes in sugarcane in order to produce fructans in transgenic sugarcane.

Obtaining storage carbohydrates (sucrose and fructans) from sugarcane plants in an efficient manner requires methods which lead to increasing the storage carbohydrate content in sugarcane plants.

SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is thus based on the object of providing methods which lead to an increased storage carbohydrate content in sugarcane plants in comparison with conventional sugarcane plants.

This object is achieved by providing the embodiments specified in the patent claims.

The present invention thus relates to a method for increasing the storage carbohydrate content of a sugarcane plant, which comprises

-   (a) the genetic modification of a sugarcane plant by introducing at     least one foreign nucleic acid molecule encoding a fructosyl     transferase; -   (b) the genetically modified sugarcane plant according to (a) having     an increased storage carbohydrate content in comparison with     corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1: Storage carbohydrate (sucrose and fructan) content in sugarcane stalks of the wild type NCo310 and of the transgenic oligofructan-synthetizing line 2-1-5-3. Material of three adjacent internodes was combined to give one sample. The internodes were numbered from top (=1) to bottom (=36).

FIG. 2: Storage carbohydrate (sucrose and fructan) content in sugarcane stalks of the wild type NCo310 and of the transgenic fructan-synthetizing line 1-2-3-3. Material of three adjacent internodes was combined to give one sample.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of the present invention, the term “storage carbohydrate content” is understood as meaning the total of the sucrose and fructan content per gram fresh weight.

For the purposes of the present invention, the terms “increasing the storage carbohydrate content” or “increased storage carbohydrate content” mean increasing the content of the total of sucrose and fructan per gram fresh weight by in total 2-100%, preferably by 5-80% and especially preferably by 10-65%.

In the context of the present invention, the sucrose or fructan content is preferably determined by the methods described further below in the methodology section.

In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for increasing the total carbohydrate content of a sugarcane plant, which comprises

-   (a) the genetic modification of a sugarcane plant by introducing at     least one foreign nucleic acid molecule encoding a fructosyl     transferase; -   (b) the genetically modified sugarcane plant according to (a) having     an increased total carbohydrate content in comparison with     corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants.

In the context of the present invention, the term “total carbohydrate content” is understood as meaning the total of the carbohydrates glucose, fructose, sucrose and fructan content per gram fresh weight.

In the context of the present invention, the terms “increasing the total carbohydrate content” or “increased total carbohydrate content” mean increasing the content of the total of carbohydrated glucose, fructose, sucrose and fructan per gram fresh weight by in total 5-100%, preferably by 8-80% and especially preferably by 11-66%.

In the context of the present invention, the glucose, fructose, sucrose or fructan content is preferably determined by the methods described further below in the methodology section.

In the context of the present invention, the fresh weight of the sugarcane plants is determined using conventional scales, by measuring the weight of all of the above-ground stem of a sugarcane plant after removing the leaves entirely.

It was surprising for the skilled worker that the expression of a plant fructosyl transferase gene in sugarcane plants not only leads to the synthesis of fructan, but the storage carbohydrate (sucrose+fructan) content also increases simultaneously. On the basis of the data regarding the expression of a 1-SST gene in sugar beet (Sevenier et al., Nature Biotechnology 16, (1998), 843), which show that the transgenic sugar beet plants show a reduced storage carbohydrate content (sucrose+fructan), a reduced total carbohydrate (sucrose+fructan+glucose+fructose) content and a significantly reduced sucrose content (<10% of the wild type) in comparison with corresponding sugar beet wild-type plants, the skilled worker would have expected that the corresponding approach in sugarcane likewise leads to a reduced storage carbohydrate and total carbohydrate content and to a significantly reduced sucrose content.

Surprisingly, however, these effects (reduced storage carbohydrate and total carbohydrate content) are not observed in sugarcane. In contrast, the storage carbohydrate and total carbohydrate contents of the transgenic sugarcane plants even exceed those of the corresponding wild-type plants. Also, the genetically modified sugarcane plants of the method according to the invention show no reduced sucrose content down to 10% of the wild-type level in comparison with corresponding, non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants.

This surprising effect is of enormous commercial importance since the method according to the invention allows sugarcane plants to be employed in the future for obtaining two raw materials, viz. cane sugar and fructan, without the cane sugar yield being significantly lowered.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the genetically modified sugarcane plants have an increased storage and/or total carbohydrate content in comparison with corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants and the sucrose content of the genetically modified sugarcane plants in comparison with the sucrose content of corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants amounts to more than 15% of the sucrose content of corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants, preferably to 20-130% and especially preferably to 30-100%.

In a further embodiment, the present invention thus relates to a method for increasing the storage carbohydrate content of a sugarcane plant, which comprises

-   (a) the genetic modification of a sugarcane plant by introducing at     least one foreign nucleic acid molecule encoding a fructosyl     transferase; -   (b) the genetically modified sugarcane plant according to (a) having     an increased storage carbohydrate content in comparison with     corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants     between the internodes 10-18.

In the context of the present invention, the term “increased storage carbohydrate content between the internodes 10-18” means that the sucrose and fructan content per gram fresh weight in the area between the internodes 10 and 18 is increased in total by at least 5%, in particular by 5-90%, preferably by 10-80% and especially preferably by 15-75%.

In the context of the present invention, the internodes of the stalk are numbered from top (=1) to bottom (for example =36). In the context of the present invention, an “internode” refers, in a sugarcane plant, to the portion of the shoot axis between two nodes (where the leaves grow from).

In this context, the term “sucrose and fructan content per gram fresh weight in the area between the internodes 10-18” is understood as meaning that the total of the sucrose and fructan contents and of the fresh weight of the stem after removal of the leaves in the stem region between internode 10 and internode 18 are determined.

In the context of the present invention, the term “sugarcane plant” is understood as meaning a plant of the genus Saccharum, preferably the species Saccharum officinarum.

In the context of the present invention, the term “genetic modification” or “genetically modified” means the introduction of at least one “foreign nucleic acid molecule” encoding a fructosyl transferase into the genome of a sugarcane plant cell or into the genome of a sugarcane plant, where said introduction of at least one foreign nucleic acid molecule results in the sugarcane plant synthesizing fructan. Sugarcane plants which do not have this genetic modification store no fructan, or at least in amounts which are so small that the fructan is not detectable, preferably by the method described further below in the methodology section (“fructan determination”).

In the context of the present invention, the storage carbohydrate or total carbohydrate content determination should be carried out on sugarcane plants which have at least 10 internodes and which are at least 6, preferably 10-18, especially preferably 15 months old.

In the context of the present invention, the term “foreign nucleic acid molecule” is understood as meaning a molecule, preferably a heterologous molecule, which either does not occur naturally in corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cells, or which does not naturally occur in sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cells in this specific spatial arrangement or which is located at a location in the genome of the sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cell where it does not occur naturally.

Furthermore, the sugarcane plants/plant cells employed in the method according to the invention are distinguished from sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cells by the fact that they comprise at least one copy of the foreign nucleic acid molecule stably integrated into their genome, if appropriate in addition to copies of such a molecule which occur naturally in the sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cells. In this case, the sugarcane plants/plant cells of the method according to the invention can be distinguished from sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cells in particular by the fact that this additional copy, or these additional copies, is/are located at locations in the genome where it does not occur, or where they do not occur, in sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cells. This can be tested for example with the aid of a Southern blot analysis.

Moreover, the sugarcane plants/plant cells employed in the method according to the invention can be distinguished from sugarcane wild-type plants/plant cells preferably by at least one of the following features: if the foreign nucleic acid molecule which has been introduced is heterologous with regard to the plant cell or plant, transcripts of the nucleic acid molecules which have been introduced are present in the sugarcane plants/plant cells employed in the method according to the invention.

These nucleic acid molecules can be detected for example by Northern blot analysis or by RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction).

Furthermore, the sugarcane plants/plant cells employed in the method according to the invention form a protein which is encoded by a foreign nucleic acid molecule which has been introduced. This protein can be detected for example by immunological methods, in particular by a Western blot analysis.

In the context of the present invention, the term “genome” is to be understood as meaning the totality of the hereditary material present in a plant cell. The skilled worker knows that not only the nucleus, but also other cell compartments (for example plastids, mitochondria) comprise hereditary material.

The foreign nucleic acid molecule is preferably a recombinant molecule which consists of a variety of elements whose combination, or specific spatial arrangement, does not occur naturally in plant cells.

In principle, the foreign nucleic acid molecule can be any nucleic acid molecule which encodes at least one fructosyl transferase and which, in the sugarcane plant cell or sugarcane plant, leads to the sugarcane plant synthesizing fructan.

In the context of the present invention, the term “sugarcane wild-type plant cell” means sugarcane plant cells which have acted as starting material for the method according to the invention, i.e. whose genome is not modified by the introduction of at least one foreign nucleic acid molecule encoding at least one fructosyl transferase.

In the context of the present invention, the term “sugarcane wild-type plant” means plants which have acted as starting material for the method according to the invention, i.e. whose genome is not modified by the introduction of at least one foreign nucleic acid molecule encoding at least one fructosyl transferase.

In the context of the present invention, the term “corresponding” means that, when comparing a plurality of objects, the objects in question which are compared with one another are maintained under identical conditions. In the context of the present invention, the term “corresponding” in the context of sugarcane wild-type plant cell or sugarcane wild-type plant means that the sugarcane plant cells or sugarcane plants which are compared with each other were grown under identical culture conditions and have the same age, or spent the same time in culture.

In the context of the present invention, the term “fructosyl transferase” refers to plant enzymes which catalyze the synthesis of fructans in plant cells and which are also referred to as fructosyl transferases. The group of the plant fructosyl transferases includes:

-   -   sucrose: sucrose 1-fructosyl transferases (1-SST) (EC 2.4.1.99),     -   fructan: fructan 1-fructosyl transferases (1-FFT) (EC         2.4.1.100),     -   fructan: fructan 6G-fructosyl transferases (6G-FFT) (E.C.         2.4.1.-) and     -   sucrose: fructan 6-fructosyl transferases (6-SFT) (E.C.         2.4.1.10).

1-SSTs catalyze the synthesis of oligofructans (DP3-DP8) with beta-2,1-glycosidic bonds starting from the substrate sucrose. 1-SSTs catalyze the following reaction: 2 sucrose=glucose+β-D-fructofuranosyl-(2→1)-β-D-fructofuranosyl α-D-glucopyranoside

1-SST have encoding sequences from different organisms known to the skilled worker and available for example under the following NCBI GenBank Accession numbers:

Allium cepa AJ006066.1 (Vijn, I. et al., Plant Physiol. 117(4), (1998), 1507-1513); Triticum aestivum AB029888.1 (Kawakami, A. and Yoshida, M., Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 66 (11), (2002), 2297-2305); Allium sativum AY098442.1; Lolium perenne AY245431.1 (Chalmers et al., J Plant Physiol. 160(11), (2003), 1385-91); Festuca arundinacea AJ297369.1, Luescher et al., Plant Physiol. 124 (3), (2000), 1217-1228); Hordeum vulgare AJ 567377.2, Nagaraj et al., New Phytologist. 161(3), (2004), 735-748); Taraxacum officinale AS250634.1, van den Ende et al., Plant Physiol. 123, (2000), 71-80.

Especially preferred in the context of the present invention is the 1-SST from Cynara scolymus (SEQ ID No. 1) or from Helianthus tuberosus (see WO96/21023, FIG. 4 (A), GenBank Acc. No. AJ009757.1, van der Meer et al., Plant J. 15(4), (1998), 489-500).

1-FFTs catalyze the synthesis of longer-chain beta-2,1-linked fructans of the inulin type which can have a degree of polymerization of up to DP=200, by transferring fructose units from existing oligofructan chains to other fructans or else sucrose. 1-FFTs catalyze the following reaction: [β-D-fructosyl-(2→1)-]_(m)+[β-D-fructosyl-(2→1)-]_(n)=[β-D-fructosyl-(2→1)-]_(m−1)+[β-D-fructosyl-(2→1)-]_(n+1) in addition to [β-D-fructosyl-(2→1)-]_(n), sucrose may also act as acceptor for the beta-2,1-linked fructose residue in the above reaction.

1-FFT-encoding sequences from different organisms are known to the skilled worker and available for example under the following GenBank Accession numbers:

Cichorium intybus U84398.1.

Especially preferred in the context of the present invention is the 1-FFT from Cynara scolymus (SEQ ID No. 2) or from Helianthus tuberosus (see WO96/21023, FIG. 4(B), GenBank Acc. No. AJ009756.1, van der Meer et al. (Plant J. 15(4), (1998), 489-500).

In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, a further foreign nucleic acid molecule encoding an FFT is introduced into the genome of the sugarcane plant, in addition to the foreign nucleic acid molecule which encodes a 1-SST. This means to say that, in this embodiment of the method according to the invention, a first foreign nucleic acid molecule encodes a 1-SST and a second foreign nucleic acid molecule a 1-FFT.

The foreign nucleic acid molecules introduced into the sugarcane plant cell or sugarcane plant for the purposes of genetic modification may take the form of a single nucleic acid molecule or a plurality of nucleic acid molecules. They may therefore take the form of foreign nucleic acid molecules which encode 1-SST proteins and 1-FFT proteins in one nucleic acid molecule, but also nucleic acid molecules where the 1-SST-encoding nucleic acid sequences and the 1-FFT-encoding nucleic acid sequences are present on different nucleic acid molecules.

The nucleic acid sequences which encode a 1-SST protein and those which encode a 1-FFT protein can for example be present simultaneously in a vector, plasmid or linear nucleic acid molecule or, be components of two vectors, plasmids or linear nucleic acid molecules which are separate from one another.

If the nucleic acid sequences which encode a 1-SST protein and those which encode a 1-FFT protein are present in two nucleic acid molecules which are separate from one another, they can be introduced into the genome of the plant cell or plant either simultaneously (“cotransformation”) or else in succession, i.e. one after the other (“supertransformation”).

The nucleic acid molecules which are separate from one another can also be introduced into different individual sugarcane plant cells or sugarcane plants which are subsequently crossed with one another to give rise to sugarcane plants which simultaneously express a 1-SST and a 1-FFT.

Especially preferred in the context of the present invention is the combination of the Cynara scolymus 1-SST with the Cynara scolymus 1-FFT, the Cynara scolymus 1-SST with the H. tuberosus 1-FFT, the H. tuberosus 1-SST with the C. solymus 1-FFT or the H. tuberosus 1-SST with the H. tuberosus 1-FFT.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the plant fructosyl transferase encodes a 6G-FFT protein which can utilize 1-kestose as fructosyl group donor in order to transfer a fructose unit to the glucose residue (glucose C6 carbon atom) of sucrose or to an existing oligofructan (for example of the neoinulin series), which is done by forming a beta-2,6-glycosidic bond. The transfer of fructose units to the glucose residue of sucrose leads to the formation of inulin of what is known as the neo-inulin series, such as, for example, of the trisaccharide neokestose (6G-kestotriose).

6G-FFT-encoding sequences from different organisms are known to the skilled worker and available for example under the following GenBank Accession numbers:

Allium cepa Y07838.1 (Vijn et al., Plant J. 11 (3), (1997), 387-398).

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the Allium cepa 6G-FFT (SEQ ID No. 3) is used.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the plant fructosyl transferase encodes a 6-SFT protein which forms the tetrasaccharide bifurcose (also referred to as 1,6-kestotetraose) from the trisaccharide 1-kestose and sucrose, which tetrasaccharide has an additional beta-2,6-linked fructose unit in comparison with 1-kestose. The involvement of 6-SFTs in the synthesis of longer-chained branched or unbranched levans is also being discussed (Vijn and Smeekens, Plant Physiology 120, (1999), 351-359). 6-SFTs catalyze the following reaction: sucrose+(2,6-β-D-fructosyl)_(n)=glucose+(2,6-β-D-fructosyl)_(n+1)

If sucrose is the only substrate on offer, 6-SFT catalyzes the formation of 6-kestotriose.

6-SFT-encoding sequences from different organisms are known to the skilled worker and available for example under the following GenBank Accession numbers:

Triticum aestivum AB029887.1 (Kawakami and Yoshida, Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 66 (11), (2002), 2297-2305); Poa secunda AF192394.1 (Wei et al., J. Plant Physiol. 159(7), (2002), 705-715); Agropyron cristatum AF211253.1 (Wei and Chatterton, J. Plant Physiol. 158, (2001), 1203-1213).

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the Hordeum vulgare 6-SFT (SEQ ID No. 4) is used.

The 1-SST, 1-FFT, 6G-FFT or 6-SFT proteins which are encoded by the foreign nucleic acid molecules share in each case certain characteristics. These may include for example biological activity, molecular weight, immunological reactivity, conformation, the presence of structural and/or functional domains or the like, and physical properties such as, for example, the migration behavior when gel electrophoreses are carried out, chromatographic behavior, sedimentation coefficients, solubility, spectroscopic properties, stability; pH optimum, temperature optimum or the like.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the 1-SST protein which is encoded by the foreign nucleic acid molecule employed has at least 40%, preferably at least 60%, especially preferably at least 80% and particularly preferably at least 90% identity with the 1-SST protein shown in SEQ ID No. 1.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the 1-FFT protein which is encoded by the foreign nucleic acid molecule employed has at least 40%, preferably at least 60%, especially preferably at least 80% and particularly preferably at least 90% identity with the 1-FFT protein shown in SEQ ID No. 2.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the 6G-FFT protein which is encoded by the foreign nucleic acid molecule employed has at least 70%, preferably at least 80%, especially preferably at least 90% and particularly preferably at least 95% identity with the 6G-FFT protein shown in SEQ ID No. 3.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the 6-SFT protein which is encoded by the foreign nucleic acid molecule employed has at least 50%, preferably at least 80%, especially preferably at least 90% and particularly preferably at least 95% identity with the 6-SFT protein shown in SEQ ID No. 4.

Using the sequence information stated in SEQ ID Nos. 1, 2, 3 or 4, the skilled worker is now able to isolate homologous sequences from other plant species. This can be done for example with the aid of conventional methods such as screening cDNA libraries or genomic libraries with suitable hybridization probes. The skilled worker knows that homologous sequences can also be isolated with the aid of (degenerate) oligonucleotides and using PCR-based methods.

Screening data bases as are provided for example by EMBL (available on the world wide web at ebi.ac.uk/Tools/index.htm) or NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information, available on the world wide web at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) can also be used for identifying homologous sequences.

Here, one or more sequences is, or are, set as query. This search sequence is then compared by computer programmes against known sequences which are described in the selected databases. Such database searches (for example blast or fasta searches) are known to the skilled worker.

If such a database search is carried out, for example at the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information, available on the world wide web at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, National Center for Biotechnology Information National Library of Medicine, Building 38A, Bethesda, Md. 20894, USA), the standard settings which are set for the database search in question should be used.

For protein sequence alignments (blastp), these settings are as follows: limit entrez=not activated; filter=low complexity activated; expect value=10; word size=3; matrix=BLOSUM62; gap costs: existence=11, extension=1.

For nucleic acid sequence alignments (blastn), the following parameters are to be set: limit entrez=not activated; filter=low complexity activated; expect value=10; word size=11. In such a database search, for example the sequences described in SEQ ID Nos. 1, 2, 3 or 4 can be used as query sequence in order to identify homologous proteins which encode a 1-SST (SEQ ID No. 1), 1-FFT (SEQ ID No. 2), 6G-FFT (SEQ ID No. 3) or 6-SFT (SEQ ID No. 4).

In the context of the present invention, the term “identity” is intended to mean the number of identical amino acids (identity) with amino acids of other proteins, expressed in percent. The identity is preferably determined with the aid of computer programmes. If sequences which are compared with one another are different in length, the identity is to be determined in such a way that the number of amino acids which the shorter sequence shares with the longer sequence determines the percentage identity. Preferably, the identity is determined by means of the known and publicly available computer programmes ClustalW (Thompson et al., Nucleic Acids Research 22 (1994), 4673-4680).

ClustalW is made publicly available by Julie Thompson (Thompson@EMBL-Heidelberg.DE) and Toby Gibson (Gibson@EMBL-Heidelberg.DE), European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. ClustalW may likewise be downloaded from various Internet sites, inter alia at the IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, B.P. 163, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France; ftp://ftp-igbmc.u-strasbg.fr/pub/) and the EBI (ftp://ftp.ebi.ac.uk/pub/software/), and all mirrored Internet sites of the EBI (European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK).

Preferably the ClustalW computer programme Version 1.8 is used to determine the identity. The following parameters are to be set: KTUPLE=1, TOPDIAG=5, WINDOW=5, PAIRGAP=3, GAPOPEN=10, GAPEXTEND=0.05, GAPDIST=8, MAXDIV=40, MATRIX=GONNET, ENDGAPS(OFF), NOPGAP, NOHGAP.

Identity further means that functional and/or structural equivalence exists between the respective proteins which are encoded by the foreign nucleic acid molecules. The proteins which are homologous to the proteins detailed in SEQ ID Nos. 1, 2, 3 or 4, and which thus constitute derivatives of these molecules which catalyze the same enzymatic reaction, can take the form of either naturally occurring variations, for example proteins from other plant species, or of mutations, it being possible for these mutations to have arisen naturally or by directed mutagenesis. These derivatives may furthermore take the form of synthetic sequences.

The foreign nucleic acid molecules can be any nucleic acid molecules, in particular DNA or RNA molecules, for example cDNA, genomic DNA, mRNA and the like. They can be naturally occurring molecules or else molecules generated by recombinant or chemico-synthetic methods. They can be single-stranded molecules which comprise either the coding or the noncoding strand, or else double-stranded molecules.

Sugarcane can be transformed by means of the gene gun (particle bombardment) (Bower and Birch, Plant Journal 2(3), (1992), 409-416; Franks and Birch, Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 18, (1991), 471-480; Gallo-Meagher and Irvine, Crop Science 36(5), (1996), 1367-1374; Bower et al., Molecular Breeding 2(3), (1996), 239-249; Snyman et al., S. Afr. J. Bot. 62(3), (1996), 151-154) or by agrobacterium-radiated gene transfer (Arencibia et al., Transgenic Research 7, (1998), An efficient protocol for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, 213-222).

The regeneration of sugarcane plants is also known to the skilled worker (see, for example, Bower and Birch, Plant Journal 2(3), (1992), 409-416; Gallo-Meagher and Irvine, Crop Science 36(5), (1996), 1367-1374; Bower et al., Molecular Breeding 2(3), (1996), 239-249; Ho and Vasil, Ann. Bot. 51, (1983), 719-726).

To express the foreign nucleic acid molecules encoding a fructosyl transferase in sugarcane plants, these molecules are preferably linked with regulatory DNA sequences which ensure the transcription in plant cells. These include in particular promoters. In principle, any promoter which is active in sugarcane plants/plant cells is suitable for the expression.

The promoter may be chosen in such a way that expression takes place constitutively or only in a particular tissue, a particular point in time of the plant's development or at a point in time which is determined by external factors. The promoter can be homologous or heterologous, both with regard to the plant and with regard to the foreign nucleic acid molecule.

Examples of suitable constitutive promoters are the promoters of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA, known as the 35S promoter (Odell et al., 1985, Nature, 313, 810-812) and the maize ubiquitin promoter (Christensen et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 18, (1992), 675-689) or the rice ubiquitin promoter (Liu et al., Plant Science 165, (2003), High transgene expression levels in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) driven by the rice ubiquitin promoter RUBQ2, 743-750).

Furthermore, it is possible to employ promoters which may mediate gene expression in the stem of sugarcane, such as, for example, the banana streak badna virus promoter (Schenk et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 47, (200/1), 399-412).

Furthermore, a termination sequence (polyadenylation signal), which serves for adding a poly-A tail to the transcript, may be present. The poly-A tail is thought to have a function in stabilizing the transcript. Such elements are described in the literature (cf. Gielen et al., EMBO J. 8 (1989), 23-29) and can be substituted as desired.

Intron sequences between the promoter and the coding region may also be present. Such intron sequences can lead to expression stability and to elevated expression in plants (Canis et al., 1987, Genes Devel. 1, 1183-1200; Luehrsen, and Walbot, 1991, Mol. Gen. Genet. 225, 81-93; Rethmeier, et al., 1997; Plant Journal. 12(4):895-899; Rose and Beliakoff, 2000, Plant Physiol. 122(2), 535-542; Vasil et al., 1989, Plant Physiol. 91, 1575-1579; XU et al., 2003, Science in China Series C Vol. 46 No. 6, 561-569). Examples of suitable intron sequences are the first intron of the maize sh-1 gene (Werr et al., EMBO J. 4, (1985), 1373-1380), the first intron of the maize poly-ubiquitin gene 1 (Christensen et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 18, (1992), 675-689), the intron of the rice actin gene (McElroy et al., Plant Cell 2, (1990), Isolation of an efficient actin promoter for use in rice transformation, 163-172), or one of the first two introns of the Arabidopsis PAT1 gene (Rose and Last, Plant J. 11, (1997), Introns act post-transcriptionally to increase expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana tryptophan pathway gene PAT1, 455-464).

Methods to be Used in the Context of the Present Invention:

1. Sampling for the Fructan and Sugar Determination

Stalks of sugarcane plants which are 12 to 15 months old and have more than 10 internodes are harvested. After all of the leaves have been removed, the internodes of the stalk are numbered from top (=1) to bottom (for example =36). A stalk disc approximately 1-2 g in weight is excised from the middle of each internode. The stalk discs of 3 internodes are then combined to give one sample and frozen in liquid nitrogen.

For the sugar and fructan extraction, the stalk discs are first comminuted in a Waring blender (from Waring, New Hartford, Conn., USA). The sugars and the fructan are extracted by shaking for one hour at 95° C. in 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer pH 7.0. Thereafter, the solids are removed by filtration through a 30 μm sieve. The resulting solution is subsequently employed for the fructan and sugar determination (see herein below).

2. Fructan Determination

The fructan content of the solution obtained by the sugar and fructan extraction (see Method 1) was determined by means of the “Fructan Assay Procedure” kit from Megazyme. The principle of this assay is based on the hydrolysis of the fructan into its reducing monomers glucose and fructose and subsequent photometric determination (wavelength=410 nm) of the content of these reducing sugars (glucose, fructose) after staining with what is known as the “PAHBAH method” (for details on this method, see herein below).

In a first step, the sucrose present in the extract is hydrolyzed by the specific enzyme sucrase to give glucose and fructose. Furthermore, starches and maltodextrins present in the extract are degraded with a mixture of the highly purified enzymes β-amylase, pullulanase and maltase, likewise to give glucose. Thereafter, the resulting reducing sugars are reduced to sugar alcohols with treatment with alkaline borohydride solution and thus removed from the solution. The solution is neutralized and excess borohydride is removed by addition of dilute acetic acid. Thereafter, the fructan is hydrolyzed with purified fructanase (exo-inulinase) to give fructose and glucose, and the content of the resulting monosaccharides is determined by the PAHBAH method.

Chemicals and Solutions in the Kit:

-   -   1. 50 U sucrase (yeast), 500 U β-amylase (B. cereus), 100 U         pullulanase (K. pneumoniae) and 1000 U maltase (yeast) are         present as a lyophilized powder; for the measurement, the are         dissolved in 22 ml of 0.1 M sodium maleate buffer pH 6.5 (herein         below referred to as “enzymes 1”).     -   2. 8000 U fructanase are present in the form of a lyophilized         powder; for the measurement, they are dissolved in 22 ml of 0.1         M sodium acetate buffer pH 4.5 (herein below referred to as         “enzymes 2”).     -   3. fructose standard solution (1.5 mg fructose/ml), dissolved in         0.2% benzoic acid.     -   4. fructan control         -   chloroform-washed Jerusalem artichoke powder (Helianthus             tuberosus) with a known fructan content             Solutions not Present in the Kit:     -   I. PAHBAH reagent         -   Solution A: 10 g of PAHBAH (p-hydroxybenzoic hydrazide,             Sigma Bestell No. H-9882) are added to 60 ml of distilled             water in a 250 ml glass beaker, and 10 ml of concentrated             hydrochloric acid is added to the suspension, with stirring.             The solution is made up to 200 ml and stored at room             temperature.         -   Solution B: firstly, 24.9 g of tri-sodium citrate, then 2.20             g of calcium chloride and filially 40 g of sodium hydroxide             are dissolved in 500 ml of distilled water, with stirring.             After the addition of sodium hydroxide, the solution may be             opaque, but turns clear when the solution is made up to 21             with water. The solution is stored at room temperature.         -   Shortly prior to use, 20 ml of solution A are added to 180             ml of solution B and mixed thoroughly (=PAHBAH reagent). The             solution must be stored on ice and can be used for 4 hours.     -   II. 50 mM sodium hydroxide solution     -   III. alkaline sodium borohydride solution 10 mg/ml sodium         borohydride (Sigma, Bestell No. S-9125) in 50 mM sodium         hydroxide     -   IV. 100 mM acetic acid         Detection Method:

-   1. 20 mg of the fructan control sample are extracted in 1 ml of     distilled water for 1 hour in a heating block at 95° C. After     centrifugation (5 minutes at 13000×g), the supernatant is     transferred to a fresh reaction vessel and the precipitate is again     taken up in 1 ml of distilled water and extracted for 1 hour in a     heating block at 5° C. After recentrifugation (see above), the     supernatant is removed and combined with the first supernatant.

-   2. 200 μl of sample (extract, fructan standard and fructan control)     are mixed with 200 μl of enzyme μl and incubated for 40 minutes at     40° C. (incubation time 10 minutes longer than stated in the     Megazyme protocol).

-   3. 200 μl of alkaline sodium borohydride solution are added, and the     solution is mixed thoroughly and incubated for 30 minutes at 40° C.     to achieve complete conversion of the reducing sugars into sugar     alcohols.

-   4. By addition of 500 μl of 100 mM acetic acid and mixing     thoroughly, the excess borohydride is removed and the solution is     brought to pH=4.5.

-   5. 200 μl aliquots of the solution are mixed with 100 μl of enzymes     2 and incubated for 60 minutes at 40° C. (40 minutes longer than the     incubation time stated in the Megazyme kit to achieve complete     hydrolysis of the fructan).

-   6. A fructose standard is tested simultaneously as further sample.     200 μl of the fructose standard solution present in the kit is     treated with 900 μl of 100 mM sodium acetate buffer pH 4.5 and     mixed. 4×200 μl of this mixture are removed and treated with a     further 100 μl of 100 mM sodium acetate buffer pH 4.5.

-   7. All samples and an additional blank sample (300 μl of 100 mM     sodium acetate buffer pH 4.5) were mixed with 5 ml of PAHBAH reagent     and the mixture was incubated for exactly 6 minutes in a boiling     water bath.

-   8. Thereafter, the samples are immediately cooled for about 5     minutes in cold water (10-15° C.).

-   9. The absorption of all solutions is measured in a     spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 410 nm against the blank     sample.     The following equation is used for the calculation:     fructan (% w/w)=ΔE×F×5×V _(Ex)1.1/0.2×100/W×1/1000×162/180

-   ΔE=PAHBAH absorption of the sample is measured against the blank     sample

-   F=factor for converting the fructose absorption into μg fructose     (54.5 μg fructose/absorption)=

-   5=factor for the conversion of 200 μl to 1 ml incubation volume

-   V_(Ex)=extract volume

-   1.1/0.2=0.2 ml of the total 1.1 ml of the enzyme digest was used for     the analysis

-   100/W=factor indicating fructan in % of the weight (W)

-   1/1000=conversion from μg into mg

-   162/180=factor for converting the free fructose measured into     fructan-bound fructose     3. Sugar Determination (Glucose, Fructose and Sucrose)

The glucose, fructose and sucrose contents in the extract obtained in accordance with method 1 is determined photometrically in an enzyme assay via the conversion of NAD⁺ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) into NADH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). During the reduction, the aromatic character at the nicotinamide ring is lost, and the absorption spectrum thus changes. This change in the absorption spectrum can be detected photometrically. The glucose and fructose present in the extract is converted into glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate by means of the enzyme hexokinase and adenosin triphosphate (ATP). The glucose-6-phosphate is subsequently oxidized by the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase to give 6-phosphogluconate. In this reaction, NAD⁺ is reduced to give NADH, and the amount of NADH formed is determined photometrically. The ratio between the NADH formed and the glucose present in the extract is 1:1, so that the glucose content can be calculated from the NADH content using the molar absorption coefficient of NADH (6.3 1 mmol⁻¹ cm⁻¹). Following the complete oxidation of glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, which has likewise formed in the solution, is converted by the enzyme phosphoglucoisomerase to give glucose-6-phosphate which, in turn, is oxidized to give 6-phosphogluconate. Again, the ratio between fructose and the amount of NADH formed is 1:1. Thereafter, the sucrose present in the extract is cleaved by the enzyme sucrase (Megazyme) to give glucose and fructose. The glucose and fructose molecules liberated are then converted with the abovementioned enzymes in the NAD⁺ dependent reaction to give 6-phosphogluconate. The conversion of one sucrose molecule into 6-phosphogluconate results in two NADH molecules. The amount of NADH formed is likewise determined photometrically and used for calculating the sucrose content, using the molar absorption coefficient of NADH.

4. Determination of the Total Carbohydrate Content

The total carbohydrate content is determined by adding the glucose, fructose, sucrose and fructan contents.

5. Determination of the Storage Carbohydrate Content

The storage carbohydrate content is determined by adding the sucrose and fructan contents.

EXAMPLE 1 Generation of Transgenic Sugarcane Plants which Express a 1-sst Gene from Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) (pML1 Plants)

Using the PCR primers P5 (5′-aattcagctgttatccctaggcggacc-3′) (SEQ ID No. 5) and P7 (5′-agtcagctgggaatttaaatttaattaaggcg-3′) (SEQ ID No. 6), a 262 bp fragment on the vector pMCS5 (MoBiTec GmbH, Gottingen, Germany) was amplified (1.5 mM MgCl₂, 25 cycles of in each case 30 seconds at 94° C., 30 seconds at 58° C., 30 seconds at 72° C., 1 U TaqI polymerase/50 μl), and the PCR product was cut with PvuII and cloned into the PvuII-cut vector pSK(−)(Stratagene). The resulting vector was named pSK(−)-MCS. Two PCR products were combined to give the finished vector. The first fragment was obtained by amplification of a 1266 bp fragment on pSK(−)-MCS using the primers P5 (see above) and P6 (5′-ggtaactgtcagaccaagtttac-3′) (SEQ ID No. 11) (1.5 mM MgCl₂, 30 cycles of in each case 15 seconds at 94° C., 15 seconds at 60° C., 15 seconds at 72° C., 1 U PwoI polymerase/50 μl). The second PCR product, which comprised the asd gene (Haziza et al. EMBO J. 1, 1982, 379-384; GenBank Accession No. V00262.1), was amplified on E. coli DNA using the primers Asd1 (AAA ATT TAA ACA TAA TCA ggA TCA ATA AAA C) (SEQ ID No. 7) and Asd2 (AAA ATT TAA ACA TCT gCg CTT ACT CCT) (SEQ ID No. 8) (1.5 mM MgCl₂, 25 cycles of in each case 30 seconds at 94° C., 30 seconds at 60° C., 1 minute at 72° C., 1 U TaqI polymerase/50 μl) and recut with DraI. The two fragments were ligated. The resulting plasmid was named pML11.

All plasmids which carry the asd gene as selection marker were propagated in G6MD2 cells (Schwartz, M., J. Biol. Chem. 92, (1966), 1083-1089) and selected on medium without diaminopimelic acid.

Two fragments were ligated simultaneously into the BglII-opened pMCS5 vector. Fragment 1 comprised the Agrobacterium tumefaciens nos terminator (Depicker et al., 1982, Journal of Molecular and Applied Genetics 1, 561-573) and was amplified on pBinAR using the primers P9 (ACT TCT gCA gCg gCC gCg ATC gTT CAA ACA TTT ggC AAT AAA gTT TC) (SEQ ID No. 9) and P10 (TCT AAg CTT ggC gCC gCT AgC AgA TCT gAT CTA gTA ACA TAg ATg ACA CC) (SEQ ID No. 10) (1.5 mM MgCl₂, 25 cycles with in each case 30 seconds at 94° C., 30 seconds at 60° C., 30 seconds at 72° C., 1 U PwoI polymerase/50 μl) and recut with Bg/II and PvuI. Fragment 2 was obtained from plasmid pBinAR by digestion with Bg/II and PvuI. The 2674 bp fragment comprised the Agrobacterium tumefaciens nos promoter (Depicker et al., Journal of Molecular and Applied Genetics 1, 1982, 561-573) and the open reading frame of the E. coli nptII gene (Beck et al. Gene 19, 1982, 327-336; Gen-Bank Accession No. V00618). The two fragments were cloned simultaneously into the BglII-cut pMCS5 (MoBiTec), and a plasmid which comprised in each case one of the two fragments was selected. The resulting plasmid was named pML7.

To remove the NotI cleavage site in the vector pMCS5 (MoBiTec GmbH, Göttingen, Germany), the vector was cut with the restriction enzymes BamHI and Bg/II and the vector was religated. The resulting plasmid was named pML4. The Agrobacterium tumefaciens nos terminator (see herein above) was cloned into the resulting vector between the restriction cleavage sites HindIII and PstI. To this end, a corresponding DNA fragment was amplified on pBinAR (see herein above) using the primers P9 (ACT TCT gCA gCg gCC gCg ATC gTT CAA ACA TTT ggC AAT AAA gTT TC) (SEQ ID No. 9) and P10 (TCT AAg CTT ggC gCC gCT AgC AgA TCT gAT CTA gTA ACA TAg ATg ACA CC) (SEQ ID No. 10) and recut with HindIII and PstI. The resulting vector was named pML54-nos. A 1986 bp PstI fragment which comprised the Zea mays ubiquitin promoter (Gen-Bank Accession 94464, Christensen et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 18, 1992, 675) and the first intron of the same gene, which intron had been truncated by digestion with ClaI and religation, was cloned into the PstI cleavage site of pML54-nos. The 3′ terminus of this fragment was orientated in the nos terminator direction in the resulting vector. The resulting plasmid was named pML8.

An NotI fragment from the vector pCy21 was cloned into pML8, which fragment comprises the open reading frame of the Cynara scolymus sucrose-sucrose 1-fructosyl transferase (1-SST) (Hellwege et al., Plant Journal 12, 1997, 1057-1065; Genbank Accession Y09662.1). The resulting plasmid was named pML10.

The vector pML11 was cut with NarI and ligated with a 4048 bp Nan fragment from pML10. The resulting plasmid is referred to as pML11-SST. It was cut with AvrII and a 2068 bp fragment from pML7, which fragment had been obtained by restriction digest with XbaI and SpeI was cloned. The resulting vector is referred to as pML1.

Transformation of Sugarcane Plants with the 1-sst Construct (pML1)

The induction of callus and the transformation of sugarcane were carried out by the method of Snyman et al. (Snyman et al., 1996, S. Afr. J. Bot 62, 151-154). The pML1 construct was cotransformed with the vector pEmuKN, which expressed the nptII gene (Beck et al. Gene 19, 1982, 327-336; Gen-Bank Accession No. V00618) under the control of the pEmu promoter (Last et al. (1991) Theor. Appl. Genet. 81, 581-588). Plants were regenerated by the method of Snyman et al. 2001 (Acta Horticulturae 560, (2001), 105-108).

EXAMPLE 2 Transgenic Sugarcane Plants Transformed with the 1-sst Gene from Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) (pML1 Plants)

2.1 Materials and Methods

Sugarcane plants of the line NCo310 were transformed with the artichoke sst gene as described in Example 1 by means of particle gun bombardment. Transgenic sugarcane plants of the oligofructan-synthetizing line 2-1-5-3 and the wild-type line NCo310 were grown in the greenhouse. Stalks were harvested from approximately 12-month old plants. After removal of the leaves, the internodes of the stalk were numbered from top (=1) to bottom (for example =36). A stalk disc approximately 1-2 g in weight was excised from the middle of each internode. The stalk discs of 3 internodes were combined to give one sample and frozen.

The method described in greater detail in the methodology section was employed for the extraction of sugar and fructan.

2.2 Results

Sugarcane plants cv. NCo310 which had been transformed with the artichoke sst gene and store the oligofructans kestose and nystose in addition to sucrose have a higher storage carbohydrate content and a higher total carbohydrate content in the stalks in comparison with NCo310 control plants (see Table 1).

TABLE 1 Determination of the total carbohydrate content (glucose + fructose + sucrose + fructan) in the stalks of sugarcane plants; NCo310 = wild-type control, 2-1-5-3 = NCo310 sugarcane plant transformed with the artichoke (Cynara scolymus) sst gene; the numbering “1”, “2”, “3” and “4” refers to samples taken from four different stalks of transgenic event 2-1-5-3. Fresh weight Suc. + fructan Total carbohydrates Sample [g] [mg/g FW] [mg/g FW] NCo310 1008 105 109 2-1-5-3 1 1134 170 175 2 945 116 124 3 1069 170 175 4 920 173 180

A rise in the sucrose content of internode 1-3 to internode 10-12 can be observed in the uppermost internodes of the stalk of the wild-type plant NCo310. Sucrose storage is at its maximum in the further internodes (>12). In these stalk segments, the sucrose content varies between 10-14% of the fresh weight. Fructans cannot be detected in sugarcane wild-type plants.

In the stalk of the transgenic plants 2-1-5-3, too, the storage carbohydrate (sucrose and fructan) content climbs from internode 1-3 to internode 7-9 and reaches saturation thereafter. Surprisingly, markedly higher storage carbohydrate contents than in the corresponding wild-type plants, namely 15-26% of the fresh weight, are obtained in the lower segments of the transgenic stalks.

Thus, the expression of the artichoke sst gene in sugarcane leads in total to a significant increase in storage carbohydrates in the sugarcane plants. If the sucrose contents of the wild-type plants (NCo310) are compared with those of the 1-SST expressing transgenic sugarcane plants (2-1-5-3), the following results are obtained:

TABLE 2 Sucrose content in sugarcane stalks of the wild type NCo310 and of the transgenic oligofructan-synthetizing line 2-1-5-3; the numbering “1”, “2”, “3” and “4” refers to samples taken from four different stalks of transgenic event 2-1-5-3. Sucrose content Sucrose Sample [mg/g FW] [% of wild type] NCo310 105 100 2-1-5-3 1 126 120 2 86 82 3 122 116 4 123 113 The mean of the sucrose contents determined for the individual internode sections was determined. The sucrose content in the wild type was set as 100% and the sucrose contents in the transgenic line are in relation to the wild type.

EXAMPLE 3 Generation of Transgenic Sugarcane Plants which Express a 1-sst Gene and a 1-fft Gene from Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) (pML2 Plants)

The vector pML11 which has been described in Example 1 was used as basic vector for cloning the construct comprising the 1-sst and the 1-fft from artichoke.

1. Expression Cassette for the 1-fft Gene

An NotI fragment from pCy3 comprising the open reading frame of the Cynara scolymus fructan-fructan 1-fructosyl transferase (fft) (Hellwege et al., FEBS Lett. 427, 1998, 25-28; Accession number AJ000481.2) was doned into the vector pML8 (see Example 1). The resulting plasmid was named pML9.

2. Final Vector

The vector pML11 was cut with NheI and ligated to a 3877 bp NheI fragment from pML9. The NheI fragment from pML9 was obtained by a partial digest and comprises the complete expression cassette for 1-fft (ubiquitin promoter, ubiquitin intron, open reading frame for fft and nos terminator). In the resulting vector, the 1-fft cassette was in the same orientation as the asd gene. The resulting plasmid is named pML11-FFT. This plasmid was cut with NarI and ligated to a 4048 by NarI fragment from pML10, the 1-sst cassette in the vector being in the same orientation as the 1-fft cassette. The resulting plasmid was named pML11F+S. It was cut with AvrII and a 2068 bp fragment from pML7, which fragment had been obtained by restriction digest with XbaI and SpeI, was cloned. The inserted cassette was in the same orientation as the 1-sst and the 1-fft cassette. The resulting vector was named pML2 and used for generating transgenic sugarcane plants which express the 1-SST and the 1-FFT gene from Cynara scolymus. The transformation and regeneration of sugarcane were carried out analogously to the methods described in Example 1 using the vector pEmuKN.

EXAMPLE 4 Transgenic Sugarcane Plants Transformed with the 1-sst and the 1-fft Gene from Artichoke (pML2 Plants)

1.1 Materials

The transgenic sugarcane plants which had been generated as described in Example 3 and which express both the 1-SST and the 1-FFT gene from Cynara scolymus were grown in the greenhouse for 12 months. In each case one sugarcane stalk of the transgenic line 1-2-3-3 and a wild-type sugarcane plant was defoliated, the stalk was divided into segments of 3 internodes, and these internode segments were frozen in liquid nitrogen in a sealed 50 ml plastic container. The fresh weight of the samples was determined. The extraction for the purposes of the fructan and sugar determination was as described in the methodology section.

1.2 Results

The sugarcane stalks were divided into segments of in each case three internodes, as specified above. The internodes were numbered from top to bottom (top=internode 1, bottom=internode 21).

In the sugarcane wild-type plant, the sucrose contents rose from internode 1-3 up to internode 10-12. The sucrose contents of all subsequent internodes were similarly high (13-15% of the fresh weight). The mean sucrose content in the sugarcane wild-type plant was 121 mg/g fresh weight.

In the transgenic line 1-2-3-3, which comprises the sst and the fft gene from artichoke and which accumulates inulin, the storage carbohydrate content in the stalk likewise climbs from internode 4-6 to internode 10-12 and varies in the bottom-most internodes (>12) between 17 and 19% of the fresh weight. The mean storage carbohydrate content is 166 mg/g fresh weight, which is higher than the sucrose content in the sugarcane wild-type plants.

In total, it can be observed that, surprisingly, the storage carbohydrate (sucrose+fructan) content in the internodes of the transgenic sugarcane line 1-2-3-3 is higher in all internodes analyzed than in those of the wild type. This difference is reflected in the mean storage carbohydrate content in the complete plant (Table 2) and in the storage carbohydrate content per internode (FIG. 2). The simultaneous expression of the 1-sst and the 1-fft gene from artichoke in sugarcane thus leads in total to an increase in storage carbohydrates in the genetically modified sugarcane plants in comparison with the sugarcane wild-type plants.

TABLE 3 Mean storage carbohydrate content in the sugarcane stalk of the wild-type line NCo310 and the transgenic fructan-accumulating line 1-2-3-3. Sucrose + fructan [mg/g FW] Wild type 121 1-2-3-3 166

If the sucrose contents of the wild-type plants (NCo310) are compared with those of the 1-2-3-3 plants, the following results are obtained:

TABLE 4 Sucrose content in the wild type NCo310 and of the transgenic fructan-synthetizing line 1-2-3-3. Sucrose content Sucrose Sample [mg/g FW] [% wild type] Wild type 121 100 1-2-3-3 41 34 The mean of the sucrose contents determined for the individual internode segments was determined, the mean sucrose content of the wild type was set as 100%, and the sucrose content in the transgenic line was expressed in relation thereto. 

1. A method for increasing the storage carbohydrate content of a sugarcane plant comprising genetically modifying a sugarcane plant by introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and a nucleic acid molecule encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; wherein said genetically modified sugarcane plant has an increased storage carbohydrate content in comparison with corresponding non-genetically-modified sugarcane wild-type plants. 